Health & Wellness

Fitness Inspo: Bb. Pilipinas Runner-Up Aya Abesamis On Being A Health And Wellness Role Model

Bb. Pilipinas 2019 first-runner up Aya Besamis easily deserves her spot—aside from graduating with a degree in Fine Arts with a major in painting at the University of Santo Tomas, the talented beaut is also the secretary of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP).

Aya’s work as a Bb. Pilipinas queen has influenced many aspects of her life, particularly her perspective on health and wellness. Her participation and eventual coronation led her to embrace this new outlook. “I saw how my body transitioned from last year. Last year, when I joined, I came from the States just eating all kinds of food. But now that I understand how my body reacts to what I intake, I was able to see how it really helped me in my daily life,” she tells ABS-CBN Lifestyle.

Since joining Bb. Pilipinas last year, Aya has seen a striking contrast in how her body has changed for the better. She emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition in health and wellness, all aiming toward getting stronger both in body and mind.

“With proper nutrition, it helps you in your everyday life. If you need to do something to help you, something as simple as going up the stairs than using the elevator helps. The stairs can help you become stronger in a small, simple way. ‘It’s just really simple’ is how I see it," she says.

Aya is completely dedicated to her work as a beauty queen. Getting pageant-ready not only includes intense training, she relates, but also waking up two to three hours before call time to do hair and makeup. Even during their breaks or vacations, she is focused on training. She even laughingly shares that one of their challenges is to look fresh and glowing, despite not having enough sleep. Her dedication has obviously transcended to something more, she says. “I would like to learn more about it and help people achieve their goals. I also want to become stronger, to be able to go even further, and influence others as well.”

All said, Aya’s last advice to those starting out in their health and fitness journey is “to learn how to know yourself more and love yourself because when you appreciate that that’s when you know how to take care of yourself: what to consume, how to workout, or how to balance your everyday life.”